


Late Breakfasts and Bravery

by AndInThoseMoments



Series: Trust and Teamwork [10]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, M/M, Multi, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-18
Updated: 2014-05-18
Packaged: 2018-01-25 14:27:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1651967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndInThoseMoments/pseuds/AndInThoseMoments
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Natasha is used to being brave.  But making the most of the chance she has now will require a whole new kind of bravery.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Late Breakfasts and Bravery

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: Dare
> 
> Thanks to ShadowHaloedAngel for the beta

Natasha woke slowly, stretching out and looking around to find herself in a familiar apartment. Coulson's. She had been staying there while she recovered from her injuries - it had seemed sensible. She was startled though, to find that she felt secure here. She had never expected to feel safe in the company of others, but Clint and Coulson were something different.

She tried to work out what it was that had woken her, then noticed the faint smell of bacon on the air. She took a deep breath, sitting up and heading towards the kitchen, leaning in the door frame and watching Clint frying bacon and eggs, humming to himself without a shirt on.

"Morning golub." She called him, using the door to take the weight off of her healing leg. He twisted around, looking over his shoulder at her and waving at her in greeting, before turning his back on her. 

She was surprised in a way by how natural it felt for the two of them - a comfortable companionship that she had never expected to experience. Even with her once-lover, years ago, they would never have turned their backs on each other.   
"Bacon Tasha?" He asked, and she nodded.   
"Sure. Why not?" She asked, smiling. "Did Coulson forgive you for looking through his private notebooks?" She wondered out loud, thinking of the previous day's escapades when the two of them had broken into Coulson's office to see if he had kept a notebook that Clint had given him. 

It turned out their handler had kept it, and used it to write short stories of their adventures, which were rather enjoyable to read. Coulson had been quite embarrassed at his secret being discovered, but after some reassurance he and Clint had headed to bed together looking rather happy. Natasha was willing to bet that it had been a good night, judging by Clint's attitude and clothing choices.  
"Oh, he forgave me. Didn't mean I didn't have a lot of fun apologising though..." He told her, and she laughed, accepting the plate of food he handed over, and then letting him pass her, returning to the bedroom where their handler was waiting, probably making a start on some paperwork whilst Clint was out from underneath his feet.

Now that Clint was back to Coulson's side, she could return to her room and catch up on the paperwork that was needed. Her attention was slightly distracted though, thinking of the pieces that their handler had written for the two of them. It might have been private, but he had made it perfectly clear what he thought of her - that she was important to him, that he respected her. 

Then again, Natasha thought with a sigh, he had made it clear that he felt that way since they had first met. She had simply been too startled, too unused to such treatment to comprehend it. When she was hurt, he'd offered her his home, even though he knew her past, and she was grateful for that.

There was Clint though. Natasha had never known anyone like him, anyone who felt so close to her, someone she could see as an equal. He was a fighter, and she was proud of what he had achieved. Her strange little pigeon, far closer to her than she had ever planned to allow anyone to get.

She shook her head, and turned her attention to her paperwork, not sure what to make of their treatment - that both of them were willing to show her such patience, concern and kindness. She had not expected it, and was having to work out rapidly how to adjust. 

She filled in the sheets of paperwork, stretching and flexing her leg, seeing if it was healed enough yet for her to return to work. It still twinged, but she hated being stuck at a desk. The way she saw it, the sooner she was back to where she was meant to be, the better.

The paperwork filled in, she got to her feet, and completed two circuits of the room before heading to the kitchen and drinking a glass of water. She noticed the coffee beans that Coulson liked sat out on the bench, and she took them, carefully preparing three coffees, adding milk and sugar for Coulson, and the special vanilla syrup to Clint's. Her own was black, bitter, but she liked it that way.

Satisfied that they would at least be willing to consider this a peace offering, she headed up to their shared bedroom, knocking smartly on the door.  
"Are you decent in there?" She asked.  
"Just a moment!" Came Clint's reply, and a second later Coulson called out, telling her she could come in.

She walked inside to see the two of them sat at the head of the bed. Clint's head was resting against Coulson's shoulder, and he was smiling. His shirt was yet to make a reappearance. Coulson had one arm around Clint's waist and nodded at Natasha, then beamed as he noticed the coffee she was carrying.  
"Thank you." He said simply. Natasha laughed, handing them both their cups, before sitting down on the edge of the bed with her own cup clasped tightly in her hands.

She sipped the hot liquid, smiling to herself, enjoying how relaxed and comfortable she felt around the two of them. After a moment, she looked back up.  
"Sorry, I've finished all my paperwork. I think I’m able to go back to work now." She explained. "Do you mind me being here?"

Clint turned, glancing towards Coulson, and raising his shoulders in a casual shrug, before returning his attention to Natasha.  
"No." The archer answered. "You're welcome to come and talk to us or whatever, any time you want. You should know that by now Tasha..."

"You are important to us." Coulson confirmed, the corners of his lips twisting upwards a little. "You matter, and we are not going to abandon you, or stop caring." He reached out, his hand resting on her arm - not as a symbol of possession, but as an attempt at comfort, which she was grateful for. 

Not many people had taken the time to try and comfort her before, but now these two were willing to look after her. She was happy.

She glanced towards Clint, and saw that he was smirking.   
"You're important to us Tasha. However you want to be." He waggled his eyebrows at her, and she leaned over to shove him hard, nearly knocking him sideways. 

Phil chuckled, and Clint shoved her back. Natasha launched herself at him, pressing him down into the mattress, and he struggled against her. She closed the gap between the two of them, pressing her lips against Clint's. She pulled away a moment later, but Clint lifted his head, following her lips, and kissing her in return.

She sat up, looking down at Clint, and then looking at Coulson, trying to work out what she had done. She flashed a nervous smile at Phil, then went with her gut instinct, moving closer, daring to press her lips against Coulson's own.

His hands rested on her arms, guiding her closer to him as they kissed shyly.  
The sound of Clint wolf-whistling broke through their kiss, and Natasha withdrew, resuming her seat a little way away from the two of them. She felt herself smiling awkwardly, looking between the two of them. 

She half expected to be told she had to leave, or to have Coulson telling her they could no longer work together. Instead, Coulson just smiled, resting one hand over Clint's.  
"Natasha... I... I know you and Clint are close. And if... if what just happened? If that's what you want? Then I'm willing to try. But on one condition."

"Alright, what?" Natasha asked slowly, looking up at her handler anxiously, wondering what it might be. The obvious answer was that Coulson was to spend more time with Clint than she did, or that they got times together on their own. Either of those, she would be able to respect.

"If you change your mind... or if you feel uncomfortable, you have to tell us. We are always going to look after you, you can work with us if you'd like to. But we don't want you to have to do something you aren't enjoying, can you understand that?" Coulson explained. Natasha looked between the two of them, thinking of everything she was risking at that moment, before quickly nodding, and reaching out to squeeze their hands.  
"I'd like that. But for now... I need to head in to work, see how my recovery is going."  
"Alright." Coulson smiled at her. "See you later."

Natasha headed off, enjoying the thought of having someone to come home to for the first time.


End file.
